


Gravity is working against me.

by neko11lover



Category: Working!!
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-24
Updated: 2012-01-24
Packaged: 2017-10-30 01:48:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/326418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neko11lover/pseuds/neko11lover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yachiyo plays matchmaker.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gravity is working against me.

**Author's Note:**

> **Written for:** [iu_fanfiction](http://iu_fanfiction.livejournal.com) WC #39 | 5. My Extra Mile
> 
> This is my first Working!! fic. I haven't read much, either, so I'm not quite sure about my characterization. Apologies for any mistakes. Also, the title comes from a John Mayer song. Also unbeta'd for the time being. Enjoy!

-

-

 

Yachiyo watches from outside of the kitchen as Satou concentrates on turning poor little Popura’s hair into a cactus with a Mexican hat. The sight is all too familiar for her, as it happens often on her watch (usually right after she talks to Satou, too), but it still makes her ache in places she can’t exactly point out.

Souma had once told her that it’s Satou trying to de-stress from his love problems, and since then, Yachiyo had never stopped worrying.

Today is no different.

“Todoroki-san,” Souma calls out from behind her. He is carrying a box of tomatoes, and is on his way to the kitchen. He clicks his tongue and shakes his head, smiling all the way. “Looks like Satou’s pretty stressed today. Let me guess—you two just stopped talking, huh?”

Yachiyo nods solemnly. “Do you think I said something to offend him?” she asks, already feeling guilty even before she hears anything. 

“Well--” 

“Souma.”

All of a sudden, Satou’s leaning against the order receiving window, looking a little bit annoyed. 

“I need those tomatoes.” 

Souma lets out a little yelp. “Coming,” he calls out. As soon as Satou ducks back into his little workplace, Souma leans in a little close to Yachiyo and whispers, “Try to be a little more… _observant_ , ne?” With that, he scampers into the kitchen, and Yachiyo hears a clanging of metal and a scream.

 

-

-

 

Today, Yachiyo just observes. Satou had denied the possibility of liking the other girls in Wagnaria (including the manager, much to Yachiyo’s relief) and Yachiyo had deemed it impossible to get an answer from him. Maybe Satou’s just a little shy, she thinks. 

All I need is a little effort on my part, she decides, because Satou-kun has done so much for me, and I have to return the favor. And so, she starts carrying a little notebook and pen around, noting Satou’s interactions with everyone from Wagnaria. 

For the males (anything’s possible!), she learns that he and Souma have a physical relationship bordering on violent (she notes that they may need to reconsider increasing the content of the first aid kit they have around) but beyond that, he rarely talks to him. He gets along rather well with Takanashi, although their relationship appears completely platonic. They hold no private conferences, and as far as Yachiyo knows, Takanashi isn’t interested in, much less capable of, an _adult_ relationship just yet. 

For the females, it appears that he generally dislikes the manager (Yachiyo is confused about her feelings, and decides temporarily that she’s okay with this, as it means that he won’t be competition, just like that nasty Otou-san with his malicious sweets) and Aoi. He doesn’t really mingle much with Matsumoto (or perhaps it’s the other way around?), and he avoids Mahiru as often as possible. Which leaves the most confusing of the bunch. 

Popura and Satou share a strange relationship. Sometimes, Yachiyo can’t figure out whether it’s hostile or otherwise. For one, there’s Satou’s strange fixation on Popura’s hair. He’ll even go as far as style it regardless of her constant protests. Although it seems that way, however, he’s quite gentle with her, lowering some of the utensils without her knowledge so she can reach it, and listening to her quietly when he isn’t in one of his styling moods. 

So she seeks the advice of someone who would probably know. 

“Todoroki-san,” Souma replies after an awkward silence following her question. He has broken into a sweat. “I think you ruled someone important out.” 

Yachiyo checks her list. “Do you think I should’ve added Otou-san, as well?” 

Souma sighs. “Well, have you tried asking Satou?” 

“I have,” the girl replies, “but no matter who I ask about, he denies it.” A determined look crosses Yachiyo’s face. “Souma-san, I’m really confident that it’s Popura-chan.”

“Arara.” Souma cradles his chin with a hand, as he leans against a wall. “Well then. What do you propose to do?”

Yachiyo brightens up.

“I’ll set them up! I’m sure Satou-kun and the one he likes just needs the right push to get together.”

Souma smiles a little sad smile (mixed in with a good amount of amusement) and says, “I’m sure they do.” He pats Yachiyo on the head. “Good luck, Todoroki-san. And please don’t tell Satou that I had anything to do with this.”

 

-

-

 

Yachiyo makes a parfait and tapes on it a little card that says on the inside, _To Taneshima, from a Secret Admirer_. She leaves it on the common table right before Popura comes in, all smiles. Yachiyo gets to the coffee maker just in time. 

“Eh, a parfait?” Popura exclaims, staring at the foreign object on the table. 

“Oh my.” Yachiyo turns around slightly. “It must’ve come in while I was changing into my apron. I see a little card on the---“ 

“Yachiyo, parfait,” the manager suddenly said, entering the room without warning. Her eyes lock on the sweet on the table, and then sweeps back to Yachiyo. 

Yachiyo’s lips tremble, before she walks over to the table, snatches the parfait and hands it over to the older woman, taking the unread card off just in time. 

“I made this for you, manager!” she announces happily, beaming. 

Popura tilts her head to the side, confused. Then, she smiles, as if understanding everything, and she walks to the small employee refrigerator to get her bottle of milk (which Takanashi dutifully replaces with soy milk everyday), as if nothing just happened. 

Yachiyo apologizes inwardly. She’ll try again.

 

-

-

 

Her next attempt is a little more straightforward. 

She requests the manager to close shop an hour early, for some HR management. For a few minutes after everyone’s shifts end, she arranges the common room, lining four sets of two-person tables. 

She ushers everyone in, and seats them accordingly. 

“We’ll be having a little party today!” she announces cheerfully, clapping her hands together. 

“Yamada thinks that this really looks like a goukon!” Aoi pipes up. “Yamada read it last night in a ladies’ magazine Souma-san bought for her!” She grins at Souma, before her mouth rounds to a small ‘o’. “And yay, Yamada gets Souma-san for her date!” 

“If this is a goukon, then I don’t approve of this arrangement!” Takanashi complains. “Why am I not paired with senpai? And why do I have to partner up with... with this?” He gestures wildly towards Mahiru. 

“G-Goukon?! With T-T-Takanashi-kun?!” Mahiru shrieks, her face red, and her hearing now selective. 

“Calm down, everyone—“ Yachiyo pleads. 

“Is the food ready yet?” the manager asks. 

“Souma-san, Souma-san, will you bring Yamada home tonight?”

“I don’t wanna go to jail just yet—“ 

“Satou-san, change seats with me!”

“ _NO!_ ” Yachiyo suddenly bellows, and everyone stops speaking. They all stare at her, surprised, and as soon as she realizes this, she blushes. “Takanashi-kun, I-I think it’ll be nice if we build our relationships with the people we would usually not voluntarily spend time with…”

“But I’ve volunteered to take care of Inami-san…”

“Takanashi.” Satou’s deep voice cut Takanashi off. “Let it be.” He turns to Yachiyo. “Todoroki.”

“Y-Yes!”

“Do you need help with the food?”

Yachiyo scrambles to get the picnic basket from the nearby desk. “It’s fine, Satou-kun, just sit back and talk to Popura-chan.”

Satou looks at her strangely, before he obliges. He pinches Popura’s nose, which headstarts Popura’s onesided monologue.

Yachiyo regains her mood, and starts setting the food.

 

-

 

After an hour, they finish eating and cleaning up, and everyone’s geared and ready to go home. Takanashi has Mahiru at the other end of his claw, Aoi is waiting for everyone to leave so she can lock up, Souma had left even before Aoi managed to bully him into “bringing her home”.

Yachiyo and Satou stand apart from the other two.

“Satou-kun, I’m sorry to impose on you, the manager didn’t bring her car…”

Satou plays a little with the unlit cigarette between his lips. “I don’t mind. I could give you two a ride, too. It isn’t far---“

“No!”

Satou blinks, surprised. 

“I mean, I’m sorry, Satou-kun! I’d really like to spend some time with the manager. It’s been a while since we’ve taken a walk… and look, Popura-chan’s starting to look worried. It’s getting late.” 

The blonde stares at her. 

“Todoroki… what are you planning?” 

Yachiyo blushes and looks away. “N-Nothing.” 

She feels his stare on the top of her head, and this lasts for half a minute (or maybe more). Finally, he lets out a sigh, and places his hand on top of her head. She could feel him shaking slightly. 

“You just don’t get it,” he murmurs. 

“Eh?”

He gives her one pat, before putting the hand back inside his pocket. “I’m taking Taneshima home. Thank you for the food.”

“Oh, alright!” Yachiyo replies, happy. “Have fun!”

She watches as Satou calls Popura, and when he presses a hand on the smaller girl’s back protectively while leading her to his car, she feels that little ache again. She shakes the feeling out of her system, and jogs to the manager, who, instantly, starts suggesting a ramen store.

For the first time, she declines.

 

-

-

 

For the rest of the week, Yachiyo continues her mission. She leaves little, random anonymous notes in Popura’s locker and in the kitchen cupboard. She puts them in the same shifts, and in the same breaks. She talks to both of them about the other. 

“Why are you telling me this?” 

“Um.” Yachiyo presses her knuckles against her chin. “Because I felt that you’d be interested in it!” 

“Taneshima’s new socks with the rabbit pattern.” 

“Yes.” 

Satou goes back to frying eggs. “Maybe you’ve mistaken me for Takanashi. He’s out in the back, lecturing Yamada.” 

Yachiyo frowns a little. “Satou-kun, why can’t you show a little more effort?” 

“Effort for what?” he deadpanned. “I’m not going to take those socks from Takanashi, even for you.”

Yachiyo’s eyes widen. “You mean for Popura-chan.”

This takes Satou aback, and he stops. They’re both silent for a while, as Satou hides the lower half of his face with his hand. He is staring at the frying pan, but he isn’t watching as the egg burns into a crisp black.

“I smelled something burning,” Takanashi said, bursting in. “Satou-san!” He rushes between them, and turns off the stove. “What are you doing, spacing off like that? And has no one been watchng the floor besides senpai?” Takanashi lectures, exasparated. He looks at the two, waiting for one of them to speak first.

“I-“ Yachiyo began, “I’m sorry for the trouble, Takanashi-kun. I’m going back to work now.” She walks out of the kitchen without saying anything else.

As she passes by the ordering window to get some coffee for the customers, she hears Satou’s voice.

“Taneshima’s socks,” he says, “give them to me.”

She leaves before she hears anything more.

 

-

-

 

Yachiyo calls in sick the next day

She spends most of it lying on the bed, thinking. Looking through old photographs of her, the manager, the Wagnaria employees, Satou. Calling once in a while to ask if things are okay.

“Hello.”

She stops breathing as soon as she recognizes the voice.

“H-Hello,” she answers back. “I just wanted to check how things are again…”

“Are you at home?” Satou asks. “My shift’s about to end. Can I drop by?”

“Now?” Suddenly, she’s flustered, and she accidentally drops the cellphone she bought with Satou. She picks it up and presses it against her ear. “Oh, no, I wouldn’t want to bother you—“

“Give me your address. The others want me to bring you some food. They made me cook it.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

Satou is silent for a while. “Would you rather I send the manager?” His voice is tight, and Yachiyo’s feeling a little heady from the sudden onslaught of feelings she has no name for. “She isn’t doing anything anyway.

“No, I wouldn’t want to bother her…” Yachiyo says.

“Alright,” Satou replies. “Bother me instead, then.”

Finally, Yachiyo gives in, and as soon as she says goodbye, she runs into her room, and starts looking for something to wear.

 

-

-

 

Yachiyo watches from her dinner table as Satou reheats the mushroom soup using her small stove. She notices for the first time how wide his back is, and flushes when he turns around unexpectedly, a pot of steaming soup in hand.

They sit across each other, with Satou staring at her. She, on the other hand, is staring at her soup.

“If you’re not hungry,” Satou begins, “you don’t have to eat it.”

Yachiyo realizes that he knows that she isn’t sick. She lowers her head, and picks up her spoon. Under her breath, she murmurs an embarrassed ‘itadakimasu’. She starts eating. The soup is delicious.

“About yesterday…”

She stiffens, and stops eating to look at him. He’s looking outside her window, his head resting on a palm.

“… did you understand what happened?”

She doesn’t know how to respond. She does, she doesn’t. It could’ve meant so many things. She just can’t assume. She has already assumed once, hadn’t she? Besides, it’ll make no sense…

“Todoroki. Your face is red.”

Yachiyo looks up, surprised. Her mouth is open for a rebuttal, but she stops as soon as she sees her companion’s equally red face. She begins laughing.

“What?” Satou asks, frowning. “What’s so funny?”

Yachiyo shakes her head, as her laughter dies down slowly. She then closes her eyes, and goes back to his previous question. She lets her mind wander back to yesterday’s events, and she tries to piece it together, along with other little, floating pieces from other days in the past. She creates a clear picture in her head, and it scares her a little.

Finally, she breaks the silence.

“Yes,” she replies, smiling a little shyly, her eyes slightly downcast.

Satou, for a second, looks like he wanted to ask more, but he doesn’t push her further. He just gives her a small, nod, before he pushes the bowl closer to her. He takes up the spoon she’d left on the table, and presses it against her hand. She notices that his hand is hot, and that his pulse is racing. His hand lingers on hers for a second or two, before he lets go. He gives her a small smile.

“Finish that fast,” he tells her, “so I can start cleaning up.”

 

**FIN.**


End file.
